Using the example of an Administration Manager, we have surveyed some clients, and the results are astonishing! A lot more time than the clients had first considered!
1. Hiring need (2-3 hours)
Firstly, let us deal with the fallout of the person in the position who is leaving the organisation. Begin by formulating/updating the role description to bring it up to date. Speak to their colleagues and find out what worked well and didn't work well. Update the strategy and craft the job advertisement.
2. Posting on job boards and social media (2 hours)
Remember the logon to the various job board accounts fill in the hundreds of questions and prompts on the multiple forms. You will need to brush up on your graphic design skills for social media, so the advert is catchy and pretty.
3. Review applications (10-14 hours)
On average, 100-150 resumes are received for each job opening. Many job postings will receive more, especially if you post across multiple job boards.
Did you know that the average person reviewing the first round of applications will initially only spend only a few minutes on each application received? This is the longest part of the recruitment process and demands a clear headspace and a distraction-free environment.
4. Prescreen shortlisted candidates (3 hours)
After reviewing the applications, allow for 10-15 minutes per person to prescreen, prepare internal notes, call again when they don't answer or respond to their call at 8 pm when they can finally talk to you. You should be able to get thru 12 people in 3 hours comfortably.
5. Interview preparation and reference checking (2-4 hours)
Suppose you pick three contenders for the job. Allow a solid 1-2 hours per candidate for preparing for the interview, the interview itself and reference/background checking.
6. Prepare contract and arrange the onboard process (2 hours)
If you have access to a template or can duplicate someone else's contract as a guide, you will be able to achieve this in 2 hours. If you do not have, you may need to allow for more time. You may also need to seek your Managers approval for the go-ahead.
In the best case, you are looking at spending more than half a week of dedicated time on replacing that Administration Manager, or 21 hours. This can extend well beyond these hours for more complex or specialised roles. Now, considering your time lost and what you could have been doing with this time, the thought of using a recruitment agency to find your talent suddenly got a whole lot more appealing!